


Ever Since

by Sebastinoodle



Category: Discovery - Fandom, Star Trek, star trek discovery
Genre: Academy Era, Fluff, M/M, Star Trek - Freeform, USS Discovery (Star Trek), anyways i love stulmets !!!, anyways the way they met was beautiful and i needed to elaborate, i made it academy era, i may do more chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 09:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12650688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sebastinoodle/pseuds/Sebastinoodle
Summary: An elaboration of how Hugh & Paul first met because why not





	Ever Since

"Please, please, _pleeeeease_."

"And why should I cover your shift? I have an exam tomorrow, Nia."

"Because you love me and want to support my love life even when it conflicts with my work schedule?" Moving around his excitable co-worker, Hugh picked up the empty mugs left behind on the table, narrowly avoiding collision when she blocked his path once again. "I'll buy you a box of those tea bags you like as compensation?"

"Nia-"

"I'll even make sure it's the _extra large_ box of tea bags."

"... alright, fine, but I better get those tea bags."

" _Ah - thank you, thank you, thank you!_ " With that, Nia bounced away to the staff room, topaz eyes quite literally sparkling with excitement. That left Hugh with the double shift - there had to a plausible reason for getting a job at the twenty-four hour cafe, but he struggled to come up with one that didn't end in cursing.

Smiling to himself Hugh continued to work. That was the thing about a cafe two streets down from the loud and proud Starfleet Academy in Alpha Centauri, everything was predictable. Co-workers trading shifts for dates, students studying on the second floor after paying for bottomless coffee, professors coming in for espressos after grading papers all night, jet-lagged visitors from another part of the colony in need of a quick fix, and the cute blonde guy with a permanent scowl on his face who always sat at the exact same table (an orange and red table set near the bookshelf), drinking rich black coffee and nose buried in his laptop. It's easy to deny himself constant glances to the clock, waiting for eight o'clock to hit, waiting for cute blonde guy to turn up, with a brain occupied with naming organs and mating rituals of various alien species.

Blonde guy doesn't show until it's one in the morning and the customer is low. It's an hour before he's suppose to be going home, but with the boss no doubt napping in the supply closet, taking a break isn't a bad idea. Moving through to the staff room and opening his locker, Hugh grabbed his phone, headphones, notebook, and a bottle of lemon iced tea. Leaves the staff room to see blonde guy's been served - that same old coffee that could not be good for his health -, and takes a chance by sitting three tables away. One was too close; two screamed indecisiveness; three was just perfect.

Like _Goldilocks and the three bears_ , but with less porridge involved.

Notebook flipped open to the most recent page, Hugh went about putting his headphones in. Scrolled through his music until he got to a favoured piece of opera, pressing play, and then getting on with his work. Just hoped that mating rituals wouldn't be something he had to come across often when in space.

Pen taps lightly against the desk, following the beat of the wind instruments when a finger pokes his elbow. Headphones lowered to hang round his neck, Hugh lifted his gaze, surprised to see blonde guy there, scowl on his face as per usual. "Yes?"

"You're terrible at humming along to opera music, which I don't even listen to but your music is so insanely loud - either stuff it, or go sit somewhere else. It's annoying."

"Wha - no, you know what, fine. I'll move."

"Good. Saves me a headache." Away he went. Thirty seconds later, possessions in one hand and a chair in the other, Hugh was sat where he'd wanted to be the entire time; next to cute blonde guy.

"... What the hell are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh, well, you told me to move. So I moved."

"That's not-"

"Shh, I'm trying to study." An amused smile on Hugh's part, an annoyed scowl on blondie's part, and the two ignored each other for their work. That is, until headphones were pulled off. "Stop. Humming."

"Nope."

"I will make you stop humming."

"How?"

"How? You-"

"Will you make me stop humming by talking to me instead? You come in every day, I don't even know your name. And I'd like to talk to you. So, name?"

Bleach blonde eyebrows disappear in the crease between confused eyes. "I... Paul Stamets. Why would you wanna know that?"

"It's better than just calling you the cute blonde guy." Grinning, Hugh put his music on pause and set his arms to rest on the table. It was kinda cute, seeing the guy - Paul - flounder. Made him look less angry.

"I'd exchange cute for handsome and talented, but sure. Cute works. Your name?"

And the floundering was gone. Laughter dancing in the air, Hugh gave his name. It was easy to lose himself in conversation with Paul. Turns out they were both involved with Starfleet, though in different areas of study, which explained having not seen each other around campus much. It felt like only minutes had passed, conversation ending the same way it had began; with laughter.

"Remind me to never go to the beach with you, I don't want a mushroom shaped set of tan lines on my back."

"Listen, my cousin deserved it. If he wants to smoke them then he can respect the study of them." Paul countered, smirking triumphantly. "What time is it?"

"It's-" time to panic, It's almost three, and I seriously need to go if I'm gonna be awake at all for my exam tomorrow - today, whatever. Exam later. I have to go. It was nice talking, Paul, really. I just - goodbye." In a haste to gather his things and clock out, it takes Hugh until he gets back to the dorms to realise that, maybe, Paul had tried to stop him from going. To try and say something that kept the conversation going just a little bit longer. Better not think about it.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Billy Joel's _For The Longest Time_ is blaring out from the shared alarm clock between Hugh and his roommate, Jonah. Snuffling, Hugh buries himself under the covers chasing the warmth that was already leaving.

"M'gonna choke his vocal chords for t'longes' time if he don't shut up." Jonah grumbled.

"You'd do no such thing, sir."

"Would to. Don't you have an exam?"

"I set the alarm for an hour and half before."

"I already snoozed it, mate. Y'wouldn't wake up. You've got forty minutes."

"Forty-" Limbs fight with blue bed covers, a heavy thump on the floor being reward for hastened movements. Twenty minutes is spent getting ready, five on a breakfast, two seconds spared to thank Jonah on calling out a 'good luck'. The rest is spent rushing across campus, flying down the hallway littered with other students, and slipping into the elevator with only seven minutes to go.

"What floor?"

"Huh?" Head tipped back against the walls, heart pumping with adrenaline. Registering the question Hugh held up three fingers.

"I don't know what was in that iced tea you drank last night, but it's clearly still having an effect on you."

How did they -

"Paul?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm a member of Starfleet remember? That, and I have to meet with a friend, for the mushrooms."

"Oh, right." Yawning, Hugh rubbed at his eyes, foot tapping nervously as the elevator went up. What if he fell asleep during the test? Din't answer all the questions and any chance of becoming a medical officer went down the drain -

_Ding._

"I'm gonna fail."

"If you fail I'll buy the cheer up coffee," Paul chuckled, kicking the other lightly. "Now go, you've got three minutes 'til that exam room door is locked forever."

"Thanks, Paul."

"Yeah, yeah, just go."

Pushing off the elevator wall, Hugh spared a glance in Paul's direction before rushing down the hallway, just managing to get into his seat, electronic test equipment set up, before the professor arrived. One last thought of Paul, _of the smile from last night, of the low glow of the lights surrounding them,_ before mating rituals and vital organs take over.  
  
-

"I've decided that tests, whilst mandatory, are more draining than a psyche eval."

"How did you get in here?" Paul grumbled, hands hovering over a microscope, looking to Hugh. It's not like he didn't want him here but this lab was suppose to have been closed off. Only two people had a key to this old place...

_Kowalczyk, that bastard._

"I asked someone down the hall if there was a place I could study." _Nap, a place I could nap._

"Right, okay. Bit weird."

"Just a little. What are you doing?"

"This, it's - it's nothing. Just mushroom stuff."

Eyes alight with interest Hugh makes his way over. Situates himself at Paul's side and grins. "Gonna enlighten me, then? I am going to be a medical officer, so I'll need to know all about these experimental mushrooms."

"It's the spores that are experimental, not the mushrooms." Paul corrected with a tut, adjusting the lens on the microscope. "Take a look, you should see the bacteria. I put a sample of a formula I'm working on over it, to help the process of spreading the bacteria, though not to be harmful, of course."

Hand rests lightly on the side of the microscope, head ducking to take a look through the lens. Well, he wasn't wrong. The bacteria was moving at such a rapid rate, though thankfully contained within the petri dish, that it'd make just about anyone shudder. "So, the bacteria is growing at a fast pace. Wonderful. What's this got to do with spores?"

"Oh, nothing just yet. It's just a boring detail that I need to put in my research paper."

" _You_ , finding mushrooms boring?" Hugh snorted, lifting his head, body turned towards the blonde. "I find that hard to believe and I've barely known you a day. You'd probably find space more boring than a mushroom."

"God I hate you."

"I'll like me enough for the both of us, then."

"I'd do a way better job, Culber."

"Prove it."

"Alright," pale lips purse for a moment before hips clad in blue press against the table, "Did you know there's a species of bird that dances to attract potential mates?"

"Are you saying you'll dance for me? I'll provide the music."

"No. Your tone-deaf humming could make even a Vulcan shed a tear of anguish. I'm just saying that...you've already danced."

"I have?"

"Yeah," triumphant smirk "You danced around me for nearly three months."

"Fu-"

" _ **But**_ , I'm here, so clearly your tone-deaf humming worked. So I'm proposing we go on a date. Not the cafe."

"... I honestly thought I'd be the first to ask. And that you wouldn't want to, after the way I rushed off last night."

"You think I'd be speaking to you today if I didn't like you? And you had an exam, like I'm gonna hate you for that.." Pushing up from the table, Paul took a step forward, surprised how similar in height they were. Hugh just... his presence, made him feel taller.

A huff of laughter and Hugh shook his head, meeting the blonde's gaze. "Fair enough. How about that Andorian run place in the city centre?"

"Sounds perfect, they have this green cheese thing that I'd kill for."

_"... But?"_

"How do you feel about kissing before the first date?"

"Only if it's on the cheek."

Groan mixed with laughter, Paul knocked his forehead against Hugh's shoulder. "You're killing me. Just one?"

"Both cheeks." Hugh obliged. If not for his rule, he'd happily make out with the guy.

"Now we're talking." Head lifts. Hands resting on either shoulder, Paul lent forward, lips pressing to the left first - a giggle falling free at the tickle of facial hair -, and then the right cheek where lips linger just a second longer.

"I think... everywhere but my lips should be fine."

"Kinky."

"Shut up," laughing, Hugh pushed the blonde back gently, nose scrunching and a smile forming as a brush of lips presses to his nose. "I think I may need your phone number."

"That makes two of us."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed!!  
> Kudos/comments appreciated <3


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